Hotspot Shield is a blessing for those new to the world of VPN. Why? Because it's one of the few VPNs with a free trial within our list of top providers. Not only that, it also has a completely free 'Basic' plan to help boost your cybersecurity without having to pay a penny.
We have everything you need to know about Hotspot Shield and its free trial below. Including how the free download compares to its excellent premium version, and the length of free trial you can get with its all-singing all-dancing plan.
Is there a Hotspot Shield free trial available?
Want to try Hotspot Shield's Premium plan? Admittedly, it doesn't come cheap at $6.99 a month when you sign up to its annual plan, a much more competitive $2.49/pm if you sign up for three years, or $10.99 a month for a rolling subscription).
So it feels only right it should allow you to try before you buy and, unlike many VPN services, it actually does.
You can get a Hotspot Shield free trial of 7-days, allowing you to benefit from all its premium features including watching your favorite streaming services while connected to your VPN and benefitting from the speeds of one of the fastest VPN protocols - Catapult Hydra.
On top of that, Hotspot Shield also has a money back guarantee policy, which adds an extra couple of weeks to the standard 30-day period. Yep, you can make the most of Hotspot's risk-free 45-day all-your-money-back period.
What is included in Hotspot Shield's Basic plan?
Hotspot Shield not only offers a 7-day free trial of its Premium plan - you can also enjoy the Basic plan for as long as you want, free of charge. Of course, as a free VPN, it does come with its limitations. However, it is far more secure than a lot of other free providers out there, with strong infrastructure thanks to its paid-for counterpart to support its endeavors. This means offering better transparency and security.
With a Hotspot Shield Basic plan you'll be able to install and use the VPN on just one device (Premium offers five simultaneous connections) and you'll only get access to one virtual location of its 115+. That said, it's a great stepping stone with some nifty, baseline online security features to get you started.
From split tunnelling to its own kill switch, it also comes with malware and ad-blocking, as well as the ability to use its own Chrome VPN extension. With a daily allowance on desktop of 500MB (unlimited on Chrome), you can make the most of the added-layer of security through more sensitive tasks, though it's worth noting Netflix unblocking is off the table, reserved as a Premium feature.
How to get the Hotspot Shield free trial
If you want to make the most of the 7-day Hotspot Shield free trial and the added bonus of its 45-day money back guarantee, here's exactly how to do that, step by step:
- Head to the Hotspot Shield free trial page
- Enter your email address
- Enter payment details - credit/debit card or PayPal options available
- You'll be charged after your 7-day trial ends at its $10.99 monthly rate
- Don't worry, you'll still be covered by the 45-day guarantee
- Click 'Continue' to confirm
Don't forget - if you don't wish to carry on with your Hotspot Shield subscription after either your 7-day free trial ends or within the first 45 days, make sure you cancel to get a full refund.
If you do decide you want to continue with a Hotspot Shield subscription, make sure you sign up directly through Hotspot Shield's website to get the best possible deal. In fact, by using one of our links you'll get an exclusive rate not available anywhere else.
Why should I choose Hotspot Shield?
As of late, Hotspot Shield has found itself joining the ranks as one of our favorite VPN services to recommend, alongside the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark. Known for its excellent speed performance, Hotspot Shield has gone from strength-to-strength with the introduction of its own Catapult Hydra protocol. In our testing, speeds reached as high as 360-380Mbps. This makes it an ideal choice for those who want a streaming VPN or gaming VPN, or even one for torrenting, with reliable, consistent speeds to keep up with those more demanding tasks.
Better still, Hotspot Shield is able to unblock the likes of Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, with success in unblocking Netflix in the US and UK, as well as BBC iPlayer. Its interface is also easy to use with a selection of great security features that keep up with the offering from other VPNs ranking highly in our buying guides.
Benefit from 1,800+ servers across over 115 locations, and load up onto your chosen device with clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux, as well as a a Router client, allowing you and your whole household to benefit from just one of your five connections.
Ready to sign up? Head to the Hotspot Shield website to secure our exclusive rate
Read more:
- Want to try NordVPN? Here's our NordVPN free trial guide
- Battle of the VPNs - compare Hotspot Shield vs Surfshark
- Here's your guide on how to set up a VPN
